Container



Oct. 5, 1931. c, L. DAY 2,094,589

CONTAINER Filed May 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. L. 'DAY CONTAINER Oct. 5, 1937.

Filed May 16,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Clayton L. Day, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, a corporation of Illinois 9 Application May 16, 1935, Serial No. 21,886 2 Claims. (01. 220-11) This invention relates to improvements in containers, and is here shown as embodied in a container especially adapted for holding liquids under pressure. 6 In describing the invention, reference may be made to the following United States Patents, namely: 1,622,787, Horton, March 29, 1927; 1,778,944, Horton, October 21, 1930; 1,885,601, Horton, November 1, 1932; 1,928,640, Boardman,

'10 October 3, 1933. In a sense, the present invention may be considered as acombination of one or more of the inventions'disclosed in one or more of said prior patents.

Among the features of my invention is the provision of a container in the form of a solid of revolution about acentral vertical axis comprising a central portion withv an upwardly curved top and a downwardly curved bottom, having its periphery closed by one or more peripheral portions each in the shape of a flattened torus, and

the provision of tension members joining the top and bottom where the separate portions join, that is, the tension members unite the node circles. 1

1 Another feature of my invention is the formation of the central portion with a substantially spherical curvature at the top and bottom. If desired, however, such central portion may have a curvature more or'less conforming to the curvature of the central portion of any of the containers shown in any of. the three Horton patents above mentioned. I prefer, however, to curve the bottom of the central portion downwardly so that it will conform more to the curvatures shown in Horton Patents 1,778,944 and 1,885,601 than to the flat bottom shown in Horton Patent 1,622,787. The peripheral portion in the general shape of a flattened torus may have a curvature conforming generally to the curvature shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of Boardman Patent 1,928,640. Of these three forms I prefer that shown in Fig. 4 with the downwardly curved bottom rather than the flat bottoms. If more than one peripheral portion is employed each may be in the general shape of a flattened torus, for example, as shown'in Fig. 4 of Boardman Patent 1,928,640.

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear'more fully as I proceed with my specification. V

In those forms of devices embodying the features of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view partly in section, Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, Fig. 3

is a view taken as indicated by line 3 in Fig. 1,

and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form.

As shown in the drawings, the closed container of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is in the form of a solid of revolution about a vertical central axis. This con- 5 tainer includes a central portion it) with an upwardly spherically curved top 10 and a downwardly curved bottom I 0. The periphery of the central portion is closed by a peripheral portion II in the general shape of a flattened torus. The 10 central portion joins the peripheral .portion at the top on the circle 12 which may be called the upper node circle. The central portion joins the peripheral portion at the bottom on the circle I3 which may be called the lower node circle. 15 The curvature of the peripheral portion ll may resemble in general the curvature of one of the containers in Figs. 3, 4 or 5 of Boardman Patent 1,928,640. As here shown it resembles most closely the form shownin Fig. 4 of said Boardman patent having a downwardly rounded bottom. That is, the bottom li of the peripheral portion Il may be substantially cylindrically curved the same as thebottom 2l2 of the container in Fig. 4 of Boardman Patent 1,928,640.

I5 indicates a circular girder at top of the container adjacent the upper node circleand iii indicates a similar girder at the bottom of the container at the lower node circle. The circular girders l5 and 16 are joined by a plurality of tension members l1, 11. These members may also serve, at times, as compression members.

l8 may indicate a vertical central post which may serve both as a compression and tension member or either.

Inside of the container I provide means'for bracing the shell against distortion which might otherwise be caused by undue pressures negative i or positive. As here shown, this bracing is in the form of vertical trusses I 9 at the sides of the container and radial trusses l9 at the top. This trussing is shown more or less diagrammatically as the details of same are not of great importance in connection with the present invention. It will suffice to say that sufiicient trussing is employed to suitably stiffen and strengthen the container against any stresses or strains to which it may be subjected.

, The form of container shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that above described except that two peripheral portions are used. As here shown the central portion is indicated by H0 and the same may have a spherically curved top H0 and a spherically curved bottom H0". Around the central portion H0 is the inner peripheral portion Ill. 5

This portion may have a curvature resemblins generally, for example, in Fig. 4 of Boardman Patent 28,640. Outside of this portion there is an on er peripheral portion ill which may also have a curvature resembling. the curvature shown in Fig. 4 of Boardman Patent 1,928,640. In other words, in the container in Fig. 4 there is a'central portion with an upwardly curved top and a downwardly curved bottom. Outside of this lies an inner or intermediate peripheral portion with both its inner edges and outer edges open. The outer open edge of this inner or intermediate peripheral portion is closed by an outer peripheral portion III. In a device of this kind there will be two node circles at the top, namely, H2 and H2 and two node circles at the bottom, namely, H3 and H8. H5 and 5'- indicate upper circular girders lust under the upper node circles, and H6 and 6*. indicate circular girders just above the lower node circles. The inner and outer pairs of girders are connected by the vertical posts or tension members H1 and H1. H8 indicates a central vertical post.

50 indicates an external ring girder at the junction of the bottom and sides. This ring girder may be supported by diagonal and vertical members 5| resting on a lower ring 52 which may rest on the ground 53. 54 may indicate horizontal members joining the ring 52 with the container to assist in holding the former in place.

As stated above, I have shown in Fig. 3 the use or a. single flattened torus around the central portion. In Fig. 4, I have shown the use or two such flattened tori around the central portion. It is obvious that any number of such portions may be used. Ingeneral, for a given diameter, the higher the gas pressure the greater will be the number of flattened tori portions which can be advantageously used. One or the principal features is to transmit a large portion or the upward gas pressure on the roof plates to the bottom through the columns orties l'l, H1, and Ill. connecting the ring girders on the upper and lower node circles. If this were not done the entire upward gas pressure would be carried by the side sheets and when the container held little or no liquid would tend to raise the bottom plates off of the foundation and induce excessive ring compression stresses in the ring girderand adjacent bottom and side sheets.

The container is especially adapted for holding liquids under pressure, for example, volatile liquids like gasoline and light oils where the evaporation causes an internal gas pressure. By holding such pressure up to a certain point evaporation may be lessened or eliminated.

In a sense, the invention may be considered as a combination of the inventions disclosed, for example, in Horton Patent 1,778,944 and Boardman Patent 1,928,640.

used as a framework for assisting in holding any overhanging plates during erection and are used after completion to assist in carrying the overhanging liquid load to the external ring girder 50 (or I50 of Fig. 4). The radial trusses M and H9 serve as a framework for the roof plates and may serve as a support for scaffolding during erection. They help to hold the roof in shape when the container is not subjected to its normal liquid and gas loads. The ring girders H5, H5 and H5 connected to the ring girders under them by the posts 11, H1 and 1' also assist in supporting the root when the container is The internal vertical trusses IQ of Fig. 3 and N9 of Fig. 4, may be not subjected to its normal liquid loads and th vertical posts also serve as tension members to counteract internal pressure in thecontainer.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of the nodes in the root and bottom plates with girders inside adjacent said nodes connected by ties to enable the roof and bottom plates to transmit the upward gas pressures over predetermined areas. The bottom rests in one or more annular troughs and one spherical segment scooped out of the ground. The normal upward liquid level is the plane of the uppermost node circle. The upper central spherical segment is not normally filled with liquid because its storage volume is not suillcient to oifset the cost of providing for the stresses which would be caused it it were filled. The nominal liquid capacity is normally between the plane of the uppermost roof node circle and the plane or the uppermost bottom node circle, the space in the trough normally being dead or unused space.

The trough radii of curvature are so chosen as to as nearly as possible balance the horizontal radial components of the stresses in the plates meeting at a ring girder. The trusses may be welded to the shell. A concrete ring wall 10 may be employed under the ring 52, and a ring wall I10 under the ring I52.

Although the formula to-take care or the stresses when the load conditions are not normal, it is not necessary that the ideal curvature be employed.

It will be seen that in the structure of Fig. 3, for example, the central portion I0 may be called a central portion with adome-like top. The periphery of this is closed by the peripheral portion II in the general shape of a torus with a roof-like top. The dome-like top of the central portion and the roof-like top or the peripheral portion meet at the upper node circle I! at an angle less than 180. In the form of Fig. 4 there are a plurality of concentric peripheral portions.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments or my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope or the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty in my invention as broadsecure aooeoao 3 "dome-like'top of the central portion and the, portions each in the-general shape of a torus roof-like top of the peripheral portion meeting including arooi-like top, the dome-like top of the at an angle of less than 180. central portion and the root-like top of the inner 2. A closed container in the form of a solid of peripheral portion meeting at an angle of less 5 revolution about a vertical central axis, includthan 180. 5

ing, a central portion with a dome-like top and a. CLAYTON L. DAY, bottom, and a plurality of concentric peripheral 

